Planning Home Security

A while ago I mentioned about the importance of fire alarms in home security systems and I also wrote about the importance of planning when it comes to burglar alarm systems. In this post I wanted to give some extra tips on how to plan a burglar alarm installation. If you have been reading a while now you may have noticed that some of the topics I blogged about was about monitored systems and DIY burglar alarm system kits. There are actually quite a few kits that you can find that are very straight froward when it comes to installation these do it yourself burglar alarms are not that expensive. In fact they are very cheap and offer excellent results. One of the reasons why these kits are very cheap is because they are wireless and do not require the assistance of a technician to assist in installation.

Now, for the purposes of choosing the right product you have to imagine that you are actually the intruder. To put it in other words, you have to think like a burglar when analyzing home security. Go outside of your home. Walk around your house and observe carefully every aspect of if. If possible walk to the street to get a good glimpse of how your home looks from the outside. Take some time to observe windows, doors and every possible entry to your home. After this small exercise, think of what areas of your home look more exposed and reachable to an outsider. What windows are easier to reach of break. Are they very easy to see from multiple angles? This type of analysis will help you identify areas that are very vulnerable. Vulnerable areas are the ones are used as entry points in the common burglar scenario. Not too surprising is the fact that front doors are not the preferred method of entry since usually they face the street exposing the intruder to neighbors, passing cars and the police but they should be protected anyway.

During most home robberies, the intruders enter through the back door or windows on the sides of the house so they can hide themselves from people as much as possible using trees, tall fences and other big objects to aid them in hiding from observers. For this reason, the most important areas of the house that you should consider protecting are side windows and back doors. You can use contacts and other magnetic devices to monitor windows. And if they are made of glass you should also consider installing some glass break sensors. Now as for back doors you should really consider adding motion activated lighting. This type of lighting will expose whoever is wondering around you back yard and will give a very unpleasant surprise to the intruder. You can also install security devices on the back door so they trigger the alarm if a thief knows you are away and ignores the lighting. As for the insides of the house, you should take a look at how different areas of your home connect. For example, is the living room connected to the main corridor that leads to all the rooms? Or does the living room connect to the dinning room?

Observing how your home is connected will give you a very good idea of how to install your home security burglar alarm system. You should ask your self the following question? What area of the house leads to the most important rooms and to how many. This is very important if you plan to install motion detectors or home surveillance cameras inside your home. It also applies to other sensors such as temperature sensors and other devices that are designed to detect room movement and other suspicious activity related to room volume and motion. Analyzing the structure of your property will not only help you decide what you need but if will also help you decide where other components will be installed like keypads and the control panel. One of the reasons why people do not activate their security burglar alarm systems after is that they install keypads on places that are a little out of reach and they totally forget that they have a security system in their homes.

Now to clarify some myths. There are DIY burglar alarm systems that are monitored by agencies. In fact, some of these services even give you the equipment for free if you sign a contract just like the ones that people sign for cell phones. You sign a contract that says you will be subscribed to a monitoring service for some time and they send you a free kit by mail that you can install on your own. Monthly prices are not high depending on the package that you choose. Usually the higher the monthly price that you pay the bigger and more features the home security system has. These options are very useful since monitored systems usually inform agencies if your property is burglarized while you are out on vacation or just not around and even if you are inside your property. These monitored services have a very good advantage over alarms that just make noise. There is no debating that statement since there are some intruders that just ignore the sound of the alarm if they know nobody is around and proceed to commit the crime anyway hoping that nobody will pay attention to the alarm, or that local authorities do not show on time at the crime scene.

This is the reason why monitored systems are more efficient and why they should not be overlooked especially for those that own a property that is somehow isolated. For other homes that have a big drive way or have the front gate far from the home itself; an intercom, a driveway alarm and if possible a remote control electrical gate is the best choice for protecting your property from intruders and help you get some peace of mind knowing that the possibility of a stranger wondering in the yard is reduced. If your home has a big yard you can also consider having a guard dog around. Guard dogs make wonderful pets and can protect you and your loved ones when the security burglar alarm system is not activated.